USA > South Carolina > The history of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1775-1780 > Part 29
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" It is not the danger or apprehension of danger at the present mo- ment that should oblige a patriot to part with essential rights, and the present extraordinary proceeding puts me in mind of a spirited answer of the Commons of Great Britain to the King when they were told ' That season was very improper to debate about rights and privi- leges when news had been received that the enemy were to land an army in the kingdom in a few days.' The answer was to this effect if I remember right from parliamentary history, 'that if they were sure that the enemy had an army in the heart of the kingdom and were marching with hasty strides to Westminster, they would not part with one of the least rights and privileges of the people.'"
This he admits may be going too far, but as he con- siders the existing militia law a very vigorous one, and
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for his part he would never give his consent " to part with the constitutional freedom and liberty of the people in the mode pointed out by this before unheard-of militia bill."1 If one in so high a position as Colonel Pinckney thought and wrote thus, it is not surprising that the men drafted in the field under this law should be mutinous. On the 10th of February Moultrie writes to Pinckney that a whole regiment of four hundred North Carolinians say their time is out and that they intend to march this day homeward ; 2 and the next day he writes, " I sent an order for the Charlestown artillery to march to Purrys- burg, but General Bull informs me they will not stay longer than the 1st of March : I fear our militia law will ruin our country ; in contending too much for the liberties of the people you will enslave them at last." 3 General Bull in his letter to General Moultrie tells him that when he ordered this corps -the corps d'élite of the army -to march to Purrysburg, it occasioned so much uneasiness and dissatisfaction that Captain Hey- ward thought it best to represent the matter to him and to suspend the order for their march, as he found the men were determined to disobey it, refusing to serve in any other camp but General Bull's. 4
General Lincoln would submit no longer to this dis- agreeable and dangerous situation. He was then facing the enemy whose force of veteran troops was superior in number to all of his own, and they were in this mutinous condition, - disobeying every order which they did not approve, leaving their posts and guards whenever they pleased, and refusing to submit to the articles of war, though in the presence of their enemies. He determined to have nothing more to say to the militia, and turned over their
1 Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. I, 299, 300.
2 Ibid., 310. 3 Ibid., 311. 4 Ibid., 312.
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command to General Moultrie in hopes that they would more readily obey his orders. But in this he was mis- taken, for General Moultrie adds they still continued in their contumacy.1 Lincoln appealed to John Rutledge, now Governor, and sent General Moultrie to him with a letter stating that every plan which had been digested for offensive operation had been rendered abortive ; that many of the militia had refused to come out ; that others had joined the army but for a few days and left when they thought proper, deserting even their posts with im- punity ; that as the militia by the resolve of the Assembly were not to be considered under the same control with the army, it was necessary that the State should act sepa- rately, and itself undertake the defence of some particular part of the country. He charged Moultrie to recommend the Governor to send fifteen hundred militia to Purrys- burg so as to allow the continental troops to attempt offensive operations; or if that was not agreeable, to urge the propriety of the State taking the defence of the Upper Country. He urged that provision should be made to supply the place of the North Carolina troops, whose term of service was about to expire; that all the continentals in the forts at Charlestown should be sent to him and their place supplied with the militia and Charlestown artillery. Governor Rutledge promised to do all he could.
The different divisions of the forces in the field at this time formed several camps. One at Purrysburg, com- manded by General Lincoln in person, which Moultrie estimated at between 3000 and 4000 men. One at Brier Creek, on the west side of the Savannah, - that is, in Georgia, - commanded by General Ashe of North Caro- lina, which Moultrie estimated at about 2300, but which 1 Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. I, 314.
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proved to be not more than 1500 strong, 100 of which were the remnant of the Georgia continentals under Colonel Elbert, the rest North Carolina militia. One at Williamson's house on Black Swamp, east of the Savannah, in South Carolina, under General Rutherford, of 700 or 800 men. Besides these there was a body of militia of about 1200 at Augusta. All of these made a quite strong force, and General Lincoln, notwithstanding his declaration that he would have nothing more to do with the militia, determined to cross the river with the forces on this side and give the enemy battle. For this purpose he called a council of war of General Moultrie, General Ashe, and General Rutherford, who determined to march the army from Purrysburg, leaving a strong guard there to watch the enemy, join General Rutherford and cross the river, and, uniting with General Ashe, to attack the British force. At this council General Ashe assured Lin- coln that he was perfectly safe where he was, that he had taken a good position on Brier Creek. This was true. His position was a good one. It was secured in his front by the creek and on his left by the river, leaving his right only exposed, but unfortunately the exposed flank was not guarded. General Prévost, anticipating Lincoln's plan, determined to attack Ashe before the junction was made, and the same plan was adopted as that by which Colonel Campbell had outmanœuvred Howe at Savannah. On the 3d of March Major Macpherson with the first bat- talion of the Seventy-first Regiment, and some irregulars with two field-pieces, appeared in Ashe's front and made a demonstration of crossing the Savannah. Ashe's atten- tion was thus occupied while Lieutenant Colonel Prevost, with a detachment consisting of three grenadier com- panies of the Sixtieth Regiment, Sir James Baird's light infantry, the second battalion of the Seventy-first Regi-
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ment, and some provincial troops and militia, amounting in the whole to 900 men, by making a circuit and crossing Brier Creek fifteen miles above where General Ashe was encamped, succeeded in getting into his rear unperceived. Colonel Elbert with his little band of continentals made a brave but ineffectual stand. Ashe's men were totally routed and dispersed, with the loss of seven pieces of artillery and almost all their arms and the whole of their ammunition and baggage. The loss of the British was only five privates killed, and one officer and ten privates wounded. The loss on the American side was very great. One hundred and fifty fell on the field of action and pur- suit, 27 officers and 200 men were made prisoners, and a much greater number perished in the river. Of those who escaped only 450 rejoined Lincoln. The victory of the British was complete and its results decisive. Com- munications were again opened between the British posts and the frontier settlements, and the fruits of Pickens's victory all lost. The Royal government as it had existed in Georgia at the commencement of the Revolution was again established.1
Several attempts about this time had been made to fire Charlestown. On the 20th of February several houses were burnt on Trott's Point, the present end of Hasell Street. This fire had begun in an empty house owned by one William Tweed, between two and three in the morning.2 On the same day, as it happened, the General Assembly then in session passed an ordinance to prevent the withdrawal of persons from the defence of the State, by which it was enacted that if any person should attempt
1 Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. I, 323, 353 ; Ramsay's Revolution in So. Ca., vol. II, 16; Lee's Memoirs of 1776, 124; Steadman's Am. War, vol. II, 109.
2 So. Ca. Gazette, February 24, 1779.
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to join the enemy or should actually go over to them, he should be declared guilty of treason, and upon conviction should suffer death without the benefit of clergy, and that his property should be confiscated.1 This ordinance was published by Governor Rutledge in a proclamation. A few days after, to wit, on the 11th of March, William Tweed, together with Andrew Groundwater, John Duer, and one Remmington, were taken in attempting to go to the British. A special session of the court was held for the trial of these persons, when Remmington turned State's evidence. On the trial it appeared that Tweed was charged with carrying a very malignant letter to Colonel Innes and Colonel Campbell from a British offi- cer, a prisoner of war in Charlestown. Groundwater's purpose, it was proved, was to take the benefit of a British proclamation and offer of pardon, which would have required him to take up arms for the King. The court- room was crowded from the novelty of the proceeding, and at eight o'clock in the evening the jury brought in a verdict of guilty as to Tweed and Groundwater. Duer was acquitted, as he had been warned to depart from the State and was only availing himself of Tweed's offer to carry him to Georgia. Tweed and Groundwater were sentenced to be hanged. Much interest was excited in behalf of Groundwater, as he had, as captain of a small vessel, been of service in the beginning of the war in bringing in stores and necessary articles. But there appears to have been no doubt as to the fact that Tweed had set fire to his house and caused the conflagration of the 20th of February ; and it was strongly suspected that Groundwater was concerned with him in this attempt to fire the town. The recollection of the great fire of the year before greatly excited the people, and Moultrie says 1 Statutes of So. Ca., vol. IV, 479.
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that the inhabitants were so incensed against Groundwater on this account that he suffered to appease them.1 Tweed and Groundwater were sentenced on the 11th and exe- cuted on the 15th of March. It was not every one, how- ever, who felt easy and assured at this hanging business, which had been begun at Ninety-Six, and was now carried on in Charlestown. Nor was this apprehension of evil dissipated when the news was received of Ashe's signal defeat and rout on the 3d of March. Colonel Charles Pinckney, writing to General Moultrie on the 18th, was very despondent, and could not avoid expressing his doubts on the subject and sympathy with these unfortunate men. He writes : -
" The lives that are lost amidst the conflict in the field for contend- ing laurels with a few bright strokes of military philosophy are easily and triumphantly got over, but alas! the unhappy who suffer publicly, perhaps from mistaken principles (as in my humble opinion two poor fellows did yesterday), the sad mortification and miseries of death amidst a gaping crowd occasion so pungent a sorrow to some dis- positions that it requires much time to get the better of it." 2
" Perhaps from mistaken principles ! " But what if the Royal authority should be again established, and Tweed's and Groundwater's principles should turn out to be the triumphant ones ! Hanging was a game that both sides could play, and the time was not long to come when the best of Carolina's stock were to suffer in the same way, " perhaps from mistaken principles," at least, so Lord Raw- don and Balfour were to hold in the days of their power.
From his camp at Orangeburgh Governor Rutledge wrote to General Williamson, ordering him to embody one thousand men from Ninety-Six District, and to
1 Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. I, 331 ; So. Ca. Gazette, March 17, 1779 ; So. Ca. and Am. Gen. Gazette, March 18, 1779.
2 Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. I, 354.
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make incursions into Georgia whenever a favorable op- portunity offered for harassing or annoying the enemy, and directing that the parties on these incursions were to destroy all the cattle, horses, and provisions they met with in Georgia. It happened that a short time before this General Lincoln had sent into Georgia privately to desire those who had remained there and could not get away, to be quiet until he could return to them, and assuring them that they should not be molested by his army. About the same time Lieutenant Colonel Prévost also sent a proposition to General Will- iamson to suffer these people to remain at home unmo- lested by either side, which proposition General Williamson sent to Governor Rutledge for his approval. This Gov- ernor Rutledge peremptorily refused, declaring it too absurd and ridiculous to require a moment's considera- tion, and that it only merited an answer because Will- iamson had promised one. General Williamson's answer should be that he was expressly enjoined not to agree to it. Instead of relaxing his efforts, he was ordered to pro- ceed as soon as possible to put it out of the enemy's power to secure the cattle, horses, and provisions which he believed it was Prévost's object to obtain. Yet Gov- ernor Rutledge was himself soon to be proposing a neu- trality, not of a part, but of the whole, of his own State. Moultrie wrote to the Governor gently protesting against this interference with the management of the war, and to Colonel Pinckney that matters were brewing which might bring on misunderstandings between the Governor and General Lincoln. A few days after, however, he writes to Pinckney that all will be well again and that there was a prospect of opening the campaign in a fortnight with suc- cess.1 The inconvenience and danger of the conflict of
1 Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. I, 367-374.
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authority was, nevertheless, soon again to arise and to be more seriously felt.
General Lincoln called a council of war on the 19th of April at his headquarters at Black Swamp, consisting of himself and Brigadier Generals Moultrie, Isaac Huger, and Jethro Summer, the last of North Carolina, to con- sider a move he proposed into Georgia. He informed the council that the number of men in camp with those at General Williamson's camp, and five hundred promised from Orangeburgh, and seven hundred North Carolinians then in the State, amounted to five thousand men, and desired their opinion whether leaving one thousand there and at Purrysburg it would be advisable to collect the remainder near to Augusta, cross the Savannah River, and prevent, if possible, the enemy receiving supplies from the back part of the country, circumscribe their limits, and prevent their junction with the Indians. The council advised the movement, and a supply of arms and ammunition having just arrived from St. Eustatia, replacing those lost at Brier Creek, the movement was commenced.
CHAPTER XVII
1779
GENERAL LINCOLN commenced his march for Augusta on the 20th of April with about two thousand men, light troops and cavalry, leaving his baggage and artillery to follow. On the 22d he wrote to Moultrie from Augusta, ordering him to send all the continental troops with the artillery, excepting the second and fifth regiments of South Carolina ; but directing Moultrie himself to remain in his present encampment at Black Swamp - about twenty-five miles from Purrysburg - with the two regiments, second and fifth, about two hundred and twenty men under Colonel McIntosh, and Colonel Maurice Simons's brigade of Charles- town militia, in all about twelve hundred men ; and to keep the post at Purrysburg as long as it was in his power. Moultrie was instructed that if the enemy disclosed an in- tention to attack him and to move toward Charlestown, he was to possess himself of all the passes and to delay him as much as possible until he, Lincoln, could come up. Lincoln cautioned Moultrie that this movement should be con- cealed as long as possible ; it was in fact already known in the British camp while he was enjoining its secrecy. That very night a party of Indians, or people disguised as Indians, about thirty or forty in number, came through the swamp at Yeamassee above where the guard were usu- ally placed, surprised the guard, and burned down a house and escaped unmolested. On the 24th Lincoln wrote to General Huger, who was in command of the force march- ing to join him, that he had just received advice that the
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enemy had been strongly reënforced and intended with one body to cross the Savannah at some place above Ebenezer whilst another advanced to cross higher up, and cautioned him against surprise. Lincoln thus knew as carly as the 24th that it was the intention of the enemy to cross into South Carolina ; but this he regarded as only a move to counteract his and to draw him back from Georgia, or to prevent Huger from joining him with his reenforcement. This, it seems, really was the original intention of the British commander; but finding the way practically open to Charlestown, Prévost pursued it.1
Lincoln having thus withdrawn himself with nearly all the continentals and the best part of the organized militia into Georgia, the defence of Charlestown was left to Moultrie with but a small and inadequate force for the purpose, while the difficulties of Moultrie's position were increased by the want of settled authority. For while there was no personal jealousy whatever between the State gov- ernment and himself, still all his supplies of men and material had to come from the State authorities, and the want of control in these hours of emergency crippled and embarrassed his action. All this was yet more com- plicated by the fact that Governor Rutledge had left Charlestown and gone to concert measures with Lincoln. Moultrie's urgent communications to him were therefore turned over to the Lieutenant Governor Thomas Bee. Thus while Lincoln and Rutledge were intent upon Georgia, South Carolina was left to the care of Moultrie and Bee. The State did not, however, suffer from any want of conduct in this latter officer. Mr. Bee appears to have readily assumed the responsibility of his position, and to have acted with energy and decision in supporting Moultrie in the emergency.
1 Steadman's Am. War, vol. II, 110.
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On the 28th of April General Prevost crossed over the greatest part of his army into South Carolina. Lieutenant Colonel McIntosh with his small garrison at Purrysburg retreated at once to Coosahatchie, and there he was joined on the 30th by Moultrie, the two commands scarcely amounting to twelve hundred men. Moultrie immediately sent dispatches to Lincoln and to the Governor at Orange- burgh and to Lieutenant Governor Bee at Charlestown. He wrote to Lincoln informing him that he would impede the enemy's march as much as possible, and saying that if Lincoln could spare him one thousand men, he thought he could prevent the enemy reaching the town. On the 1st of May Moultrie moved his camp to Tullifiny Hill, a much more eligible place at which to make a stand, and with Mr. Thomas Heyward, Sr., a gentleman of that neighborhood, reconnoitred the country. It was a very dry season and the river very low, allowing several ford- ing places. At all of these Moultrie placed small guards to give notice of the enemy's approach. A rear-guard of one hundred men was left at Coosahatchie. Having deter- mined to make a stand at Tullifiny Hill, Moultrie took up a position there, having his few horsemen reconnoitring the country in every direction. The enemy at the time were encamped about ten miles from him.
Determining on the 3d of May to draw in the detach- ment from Coosahatchie, Moultrie had given an order to one of his aides to bring them in; but Colonel John Laurens, who had joined him two days before, requesting to be permitted to go on the service, Moultrie readily consented, esteeming himself fortunate in having so brave and expe- rienced an officer for the duty. For this purpose a body of three hundred and fifty men, one-fourth of his little army, was committed to Colonel Laurens. This youthful officer intrusted with so considerable a command, ambi-
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tious to do more than merely bring off a rear-guard, unfortunately exceeded his orders, very imprudently crossed the river to the east side, and brought on an engagement in which he lost a number of men killed and wounded, and was himself wounded. Captain Shu- brick, upon whom the command then devolved, immedi- ately withdrew, and it was well that he did so : had he not, the whole party would have been captured by the advancing enemy. As soon as Moultrie had recovered this party he commenced a retreat, fearing to risk an engagement after the discouragement of Colonel Laurens's unfortunate affair. He marched off in good order and reached Salkehatchie Chapel that night. The British en- camped at Pocotaligo five miles in Moultrie's rear. Very much disappointed at Colonel Laurens's conduct, which he considered necessitated the abandonment of the position he had taken with the intention of engaging the enemy, Moultrie continued his retreat, destroying the bridges as he passed over them and obstructing the advance of the enemy as best he could, all the while dispatching mes- sage after message to Lincoln, to Governor Rutledge at Orangeburgh, to Lieutenant Governor Bee and Colonel Pinckney at Charlestown. But Lincoln could not be per- suaded of the danger to the town. He regarded Prévost's invasion of South Carolina as only intended to allure him from Georgia, where he was bent upon remaining in order to cover an attempt to set up a government in Augusta, where an effort was being made to assemble a convention. On the 6th of May Moultrie writes to him from Ashepoo, saying he had written a number of letters telling him of the movement against Charlestown, but had received no reply except that he would send him a reenforcement of picked continentals, which Moultrie added must be very strong to be of any service. He pressed that Lin- VOL. III .- 2 A
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coln should come at once with all possible dispatch, else the enemy would reach the town before he did so. The numbers of Prévost's force he estimated at four thousand. Lincoln had at last partly awakened to the danger, and on the same day had written to Moultrie that he was on his way down on the west side of the Savannah so as to divert the attention of the enemy, but that if the enemy meant anything serious against Charlestown, he would recross the river and come to his assistance. In the meanwhile he thought that as Moultrie was in possession of strong passes, he would with the force he had be able to stop their progress and give him time to come up.
Moultrie had intended to make a stand at Ashepoo, but his little army instead of increasing was daily diminish- ing. His force consisted chiefly of the militia of General Bull's district, that from which they were so precipitately retreating, and the British were burning and destroying as they came. Every one, wrote Moultrie, is running to look after his family and property. The enemy carry everything before them with fire and sword. On the 7th of May Moultrie halted his troops at Dorchester, twenty-four miles from Charlestown, to which place he himself went with his suite. There he was received with great joy, but found everything in the greatest turmoil. Confusion and consternation, indeed, he says, had taken possession of the whole country. Five different bodies of troops were marching to the town, but without any common purpose. Moultrie, himself, was retreating upon it as fast as possible, at first with twelve hundred men, but as Skirving's and Garden's regiments of militia be- longed to the country they were abandoning, the men of these regiments left him, to take care of their families, and his force was reduced to six hundred before he got into the town. The British army under Prevost was
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close in pursuit of him. Lincoln with his force of four thousand was marching, but slowly, to come up with the British. Governor Rutledge with six hundred militia was hastening to get to town, lest he should be shut out, and Colonel Harris of Georgia with a detachment of two hundred and fifty continentals was pushing on with all possible dispatch to reënforce him. The troops under Moultrie marched into town, on the 9th. Governor Rut- ledge with his party of militia and Colonel Harris with his continentals also got in about the same time. Pulaski with a small party of cavalry from Washington's army had come over from Haddrell's Point on the 8th. His infantry came in on the 11th ; but all together they did not number more than one hundred and twenty-five men.
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